The long-awaited second-leg of the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate, the two largest teams in Argentina, has been relocated to Madrid.
After the second-leg was postponed after it was supposed to be played last Saturday at the La Bombanera stadium, Boca Juniors' home ground, CONMEBOL, the South American football association, has decided to reschedule the match to the 9th of December.
This rescheduling came after there was an attack by the River Plate fans on the Boca Juniors' team bus, injuring three of their players and leaving the vehicle destroyed. This was the second time that this fixture was postponed, and after the incident, Boca Juniors appealed to CONMEBOL to have the match suspended altogether, yet the association tried to find alternatives.
The association found an alternative to the issue just a few days later, to play the fixture in a different country. After searching for several stadiums, they reached an agreement to play the match at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu in Spain, more than 9000 kilometers away from the original venue, with each team having an equal allocation of seats.
Apart from the relocation, River Plate have also been charged £310,000 and will have their ground closed for two matches, after they had caused so many problems outside of the stadium before the second-leg.
The CONMEBOL president, Alejandro Dominguez, as reported by The Guardian, spoke out regarding the relocation of the fixture saying,
Whilst this intense final will not have the same feel to it as if it would have been played at the La Bombanera, this change of venue might increase the worldwide viewership of South American football.
To sum up, there are several doubts whether the association was right to relocate the match or not, yet for safety reasons, it will definitely be beneficial. The match will still be a magnificent encounter to watch, with the spoils being shared in the first-leg after it ended in a 2-2 draw.
 |
| The Santiago Bernabeu is the home of European champions Real Madrid, and it is set to host the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors and River Plate. |
After the second-leg was postponed after it was supposed to be played last Saturday at the La Bombanera stadium, Boca Juniors' home ground, CONMEBOL, the South American football association, has decided to reschedule the match to the 9th of December.
This rescheduling came after there was an attack by the River Plate fans on the Boca Juniors' team bus, injuring three of their players and leaving the vehicle destroyed. This was the second time that this fixture was postponed, and after the incident, Boca Juniors appealed to CONMEBOL to have the match suspended altogether, yet the association tried to find alternatives.
The association found an alternative to the issue just a few days later, to play the fixture in a different country. After searching for several stadiums, they reached an agreement to play the match at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu in Spain, more than 9000 kilometers away from the original venue, with each team having an equal allocation of seats.
Apart from the relocation, River Plate have also been charged £310,000 and will have their ground closed for two matches, after they had caused so many problems outside of the stadium before the second-leg.
 |
| This match will be the second-leg of the final, after the first-leg finished in a 2-2 draw. |
Those of us who know the beautiful game, know that it is only about winning or losing – not killing or dying for.The association went through with this relocation solely for the safety of the fans and the players themselves.
Whilst this intense final will not have the same feel to it as if it would have been played at the La Bombanera, this change of venue might increase the worldwide viewership of South American football.
To sum up, there are several doubts whether the association was right to relocate the match or not, yet for safety reasons, it will definitely be beneficial. The match will still be a magnificent encounter to watch, with the spoils being shared in the first-leg after it ended in a 2-2 draw.
Comments
Post a Comment